Pneumatic-tire armor



Oct. 29, 1929.

l. BLOCK PNEUMAT I C TIRE ARMOR Filed Dc. 2l, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l l. Sym.

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Oct. 29, 1929. l. BLOCK PNEUMATICI TIRE ARMOR Filed Dec. 2l, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 SIM/vanto@ Israel .BZOQJZ vOct. 29, 1929. l. BLOCK 1,733,681

. PNEUMATIC TIRE' ARMOR Filed Dec. 2l. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 u y a gmwnto'c Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES ISRAEL BLOCK, on BALTIMORE, MARYLANJVJ,`

PNEUMATIO-Trnn ARMOR Application mea December 21, 1927. serial Nb. 241,629.

This invention relates to protectors or armors for pneumatic vehicle tires and an Object is to provide a suitable protector which may be either built into the tirecasing'during the manufacture thereof, or which may coniprise a separate unit or 'units which may be manufactured independently and sold as an accessory to be used in conjunction with pneumatic tires of usual construction, and ywhich will, in either case, protect the inner tube from p'unctures and theitire casing from blowouts, without lessening the resiliency of the tire.

Various ways yhave heretofore been proposed to render pneumatic tires substantially 15 puncture and blow-out proof, but commercially these have usually been rejected because they materially lessen the resiliency `of the tire, or else rare of such construction as to cause abrading or cutting of the pneumatic I'2o tube or casing.

The present 'invention overcomes the above defects by providing a plurality of protective plates which are arranged upon a flexible band in such a way as tol have movement relative to each other when the tire passes over stones or other obstructions in the road. They `are also arranged upon the flexible band so that 'the band protects the tire casing against cuts or abrasio'ns, 'whether they 'are embedded therein, or interposed 'between the tire casing and inner tube. Wh'en 'the armor is interposed between the casing and inner tube,y the latter is further protected by an improved form of liner which is interposed between'the inner tube and the armor.

The inventiony also includes an arrangement of units whereby the armor may be built up yfor dilferent size tires by 'simply using a greateror less number Ofu'nits.

The invention will be further described by yreference to the accompanying drawings, but it will be understood that this more detailed descrip-tion andillustration is intended as an exemplication of the invention and that the invention is not 'limited thereto. e

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view vof a pneumatic Itire `showing iny improved armor interposed vbetv'veen the ltire `casing and the '50 inner tube.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the armor shown in Fig. 1,y y' i Fig. 3 Lis a circumferentialsectional view through a part ofthe tire shown in Fig. 1,r

Fig. 4 Ais a detail view lofone of the units f shown in the preceding ligures,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of thek liner which receives thearmor, y i Fig. 6 is a partial circumferential sectional 'viewof anioditiedformpof'armor, t f' Y Fig. 7 is a plan kviewgof thearmor shown in Fig. 6, i, y

Fig. 8 is a partial circumferential sectional view of a further modificatiom Fig. 9 is a plan view ofthe rform of invention 'shown in Fig.-k8.

F ig. 10 is a plan View of a portion of an armoradapted for larger size tires. e

F ig.y 11 is a cross sectional view takenon line 11-11 ofFig. 1K0.,7 "V f Fig. l2 isa plan view of a ypair kof units n similar to those shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is across sectional view of ya tire casing having the invention embedded ,therein during its manufacture. f

Fig. 14 is a partial circumferential sectional view` showing` the invention made in sections and overlapping onejano'ther, and

Fig. 15 is a detail view of a unit similar, to

that shownin Fig. 47 but adapted for use with 'larger tires. f i

-` Referring 'more particularly to the draw i ings, andtir'stto Figs. ljto inclusive which disclose'thepreferred embodiment ofthe in-- f vention, the numeral 1 indicates a pneumatic tire casing of usual f construction, within which the inner tube 2 is confined. In this form of the invention the armor 1s interposed between -the tire casingy andinner tube and i is heldagainst circumferential and (transverse movement byfthe pressurecf the air within'the inner tube.r The armor perse comprisesa plurality ofunitsB of metal or similar 'material which willy prevent foreign n l f particles from penetrating the tire o'asingand p'unctu'ring I`the inner tube, casing becomes flworn, rei-nforce sain-e and preven'tblow-lou'ts.

AS' shown in the drawings each et are j units 3 arein'ade Ofrelativelyf thin sheet inetand, when the sible cutting or abl'ading oil al and have their sir e edges turned back upon the body ot the unit. as shown at to provide a smooth edgeV which Will prevent any postrie lu its are made ot some mat than metal, or it made romheavler metal for larger tires',as shown in Fig. l5, the side edges need not be turned back as thedanger oi cutting or abrading the casing will be materially lessenec To provide means for connecting the various units together the ends thereof are turned back to torni loops 5 for the reception ot pintles 6 ot the members 7, tivoV ot Which are* used to connect each member 3 to each adj acent `nlember Y. Each of the members 7 is also formed of sheet metal, and each has tivo slots 8 and 9 of a length only slightly less than the Width oi the member. The'slots S, which have the Vpintles 6 defining one side thereof, are ler than the slots 9 and each receives one ol the loops 5 formed on the ends of the units 3 and a strap l@ which forms `the actual connecting means between the several units. Thest-rap l0, which is made of rubberized fabric, leather or other flexible material ls, as shown in Fig. 3, interlaced through the units 3 and members .7 so that it passes alternately over the outside and lnslde of saidV units.

As 1t ls essential that'the armor as a Whole shall be puncture resisting at every point possible, the slots 8 and 9 of the members Y Yare staggered WithY respect to each other so that it ls impossible for a nall or other inember to pass through the slots and puncture the inner tube. Should a nail iind lts Way through'the slot 9 of the outer lnernber,.UJ

L'Would'be prevented from puncturing the inner tube by the body kportion of the underlying inner member 7. f Y

The structure already described comprises the puncture andblovvout resisting part of .the armor. Y of the inner tube against cuts or abrasione To further insure. the protection or from being pinched between the respecl tive parts oi the armor during relative lnove nient between them, a protecting liner berized fabric or similar material and coinprlses a band 1l which entends 'across' the outer portion kot' the inner tube beneath the metallic parts of the armor structure. The' band llk is considerably Wider than the ul 3 and extends around the inner tube a distance on each side'of saidr units. Secured to the outer surface of the band 1l, adjacent each side thereof', are a plurality-of suporposed strips l2 of gradually decreasing- 1width. Y The strips- 12 have their inner edges aligned, and as each superposed strip is of a' Width less than the subj acent strip, the edges ,et the superposed strips conform generally to the inner contour of the-tire casing againstV torY ,the metallic parts of the armoris provided. I This hner, like the strap lO, ls formed oi5 rubsorted.

l/Vhen the assembled units 3 are placed in the recess 13 of the liner the outer contour of the assembled structure is of the same general shape as the inner contour oi the tire casing, against which it is held Without transverse movement by the pressure ot the air ivithin'the inner tube. The tendency orn the non-metallic strips l2 and the edges of the band ll to cling to the tire casing 'further assures the structure being held in the proper place to intercept any foreign particle which might otherwise penetrate the casing and puncture the inner tube.

ln Figs. 6 and 7 there is shown a modified torni ot the invention which is adapted to be used between the-tire casing and inner tube the same as the "form already described.

The puncture and blow-out units ld of this torni of the invention comprise complementary plates l5, le, which have their meeting edges inter-lifting and turned back to form loops 1'!" tor the reception or' pintles 18. By thus having; each unit formed of tvvoplates which arehinged together an armor is provided Which is even more flexible than that shown in Figs. l to 5 inclusive. `Each of the hinged plates l5 is provided with a slot i9 through which strap 2O is interlacedso that it passes alternately on the outside and inside of the hinged units. A Yliner ll, as shown in Fig. 5 is also provided to prevent any possible damage to the inner tube.

ln Figs. 8 and 9 there is shown an armor which is similar to'that disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7, kand which comprises hinoedl plates 2l and 20. However, the hinged plates in this Y `form of the invention do not have intertting edges,but the loops 23 for receiving the pintles are formedr by bending back the entireadjacent edges'of the plates which areot a Widthk slightly less than the width of the plates, whereby a'space 2e on each side of the units is lett to receive the ends of the pintles 25 so that they will not protrude beyond the sides of the units. The pintles 25 is this form of the'invention are, as shown in Fig; 9, made in the form of a Wire loop 26.

While an armor comprising a single row of units will sulilce lfor most pneumatic tires, it Will be readily appreciated that for large size tires Va single row of units may not be Suthcient to afford the protection necessary. Y For such tires, armors as shown in Figs. l0, ll and l2 are provided. These armors include a. plu- The protecting armor of this invention is primarily intended to be made independently of the tire and inserted Within the casing as shown in Fig. l. However, the invention also contemplates the use of such an armor as a permanent part of the tire casing. In such cases the armor Without the liner may be embedded in the tread portion of the casing during its manufacture, as shown in Fig. 13. When the armor is to be thus embedded in the tread portion of the tire casing, the metallic units 3 are first secured to a strap l0 in any of the Ways previously described and the assembled armor consisting of the strap and metal units isvvrapped diagonally with a rubberized fabric 28 to prevent any possibility of the metal units abrading or cutting the tire casing.

It is also contemplated that in some instances the armor with the liner may be inserted Within the casing, the same as in Fig. l, and permanently secured in place by vulcanizing the Same to the inner side of the tire casing.

It Will also be obvious that, if desired, the armor may be made in overlapping sections as shown in Fig. 14. In this figure the liner is continuous and the assembled units are made in a plurality of overlapping sections.

From the aforegoing description, it Will be seen that there hasbeen provided an armor for pneumatic tires, Which, Without decreasing the resiliency of the tire or causing any damage thereto, will effectively prevent punctures and blow-outs, and thereby greatly prolong the life of the tire and relieve the 'motorist of the trouble and expense of making tire repairs.

What Iclaim is: y

l. An armor for pneumatic tires comprising a plurality of puncture resisting units, separate slotted members connected to said units, and a strap interlaced through said slotted members and holding a plurality of said connected members andk units in assembled relation. k

2. An armor :t'ory pneumatic tires comprising a plurality of puncture resisting units, separate superposed slotted members connected to said units, and a strap interlaced through said slotted members and holding a plurality of said connected members and units in assembled relation.

3. An armor for pneumatic tires comprising a plurality of puncture resisting units, separate superposed slotted members connected to said units, the slots in said members being in non-alignment, and a strap interlaced through said non-aligned slots and holding a plurality of said members and units in assembled relation.

4. An armor for pneumatic tires comprising a plurality of puncture resisting units, said units having their ends turned to form loops, slotted members, between adjacent units, each slotted member having a. portion thereof extending through a loo of one of said units, and a strap interlaced t rougn said slotted members and holding a plurality of said members and units in assembled relation.

In testimony whereof I aliiX my signature.

ISRAEL BLOCK. 

